


Your Power Over Me

by romanticgumtochew



Category: Project Power
Genre: Blood and Injury, Domestic Fluff, Drug Use, F/M, Gun Violence, Marriage, Police, Superpowers, Superpowers but with Consequences
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-21 19:34:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30026769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romanticgumtochew/pseuds/romanticgumtochew
Summary: This movie wasn't great character-wise, the filmography and world were great and the concept had some great potential. I also think the characters needed more backstory. So here's my backstory for Detective Frank Shaver.
Relationships: Frank Shaver/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 1





	1. beginning

Frank pulled up to the house and parked the car on the side of the street. It was late. Later then he said he would be. He definitely missed bedtime by now. He sighed, pulling his hands over his face. He was so tired. He killed the engine but continued to sit there for a moment. 

What he saw tonight was indescribable. Unfathomable. That suspect…What he could do was beyond any normal human. Almost like he had….

Frank shook his head. No. If he thought about it too much it would make that next word a reality. Something that was plausible, tangible, something that wasn’t just on the movie screen or in the pages of a comic book. 

He got out of the car. 

The path that led up to the front porch was lined with purple flowers, freshly planted for the new, colder season. She had told him when she was working in the yard that day what they were. Something that started with an F — he couldn’t remember. His mind had probably been too distracted that day thinking about a case. He’d look it up later. The white paint of the porch was chipped, but the matching siding was pristine. Newly painted over after she finally convinced him that the periwinkle purple that the house was before was rather hideous. She wanted the front door untouched though, a bright turquoise blue. 

The house was dark and quiet when he came in. He kicked off his boots at the door, adding them to the pile of tiny sparkly slip-ons, pink Crocs, and flip-flops with the little elastic strap on the back to keep them on tiny feet better. The living room was speckled here and there by toys. She had probably given up on forcing the issue of cleaning when they were just going to get pulled out the next day anyway. He smiled. He hoped they had a good day — he wished he could’ve asked her about it. 

He stopped in Claudia’s room first. The bedroom had a pink haze, the little machine on her bedside table projecting hearts and unicorns on the ceiling to help her sleep. Claudia had moved into a big-girl bed just a few weeks ago. He thought she still looked so small in it. Wasn’t it just yesterday he could fit her entire body in one arm? Now she was old enough to sleep in a bed with no rails? The crib she had been using before was pushed into the corner of the room, waiting for the newest Shaver to arrive. 

God, he hoped it was another girl. He didn’t know if they could afford to buy all new clothes for a boy. 

Claudia was asleep in the center of the bed. Frank chuckled quietly to himself. Just like her mom. Pillow still at the head of the bed, curled in on her side with the blankets barely covering her legs. Her dark hair just like his in messy double french braids. He sat down quietly at the edge of the bed. He looked at her for a moment. 

When she was born, the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck. She came into the world bright blue and not breathing. The first time he saw her he had been so scared. Scared for her life, scared of failing her. And for a long time after, even when the doctors got her breathing and free of the umbilical cord, he only looked at her with fear in his heart. A whole life — his responsibility. But now he only looked at her with love. A love so strong he was sure it would make the wind change directions. Everything he did, he did for her. His little Claudia. 

Then he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her warm cheek. God, she got so sweaty at night. 

“I love you, Cloudy,” he whispered, “Sweet dreams.” 

He left her with one final kiss and the door cracked open how he knew she liked it. From the dark hallway, he could see that their bedroom light was on. He sighed. She shouldn’t have waited up for him. But he also knew that he was powerless to stop her. 

Michelle was sitting up on her respectful side of the bed under the covers. Her bright, copper hair was thrown up into a bun at the top of her head. She held a book, about halfway finished, in her hands. An empty mug that once was filled with tea if Frank had to guess sat on her nightstand. She smiled at him when he gingerly opened the door, a soft, tired thing that made him feel even more exhausted than he did before. 

“Hey, baby,” he sighed as he shut the door behind himself. 

“Hi,” Michelle whispered back. She closed her book and set it down beside her empty mug. 

Frank let out a long breath. He might have been in his house for nearing on five minutes, but he didn’t feel like he was home until he saw her. Then the more he looked at her, the more he thought about the things he saw that night; and the more he thought about that the more tired he became. He felt surprising tears prick the backs of his eyes. And she seemed to notice them, those unwanted tears that hadn’t even fallen yet, her face buckling in concern. 

“Frankie?” 

She moved to get up but he held up a hand. He groaned as he pulled at his nose, rubbed at his eyes. Trying to force the tears back and keep his head on his shoulders. He pulled off his badge and gun first, setting them on top of the dresser by the door. Then he stripped himself down to his underwear, leaving his clothes where they lay. He’d pick them up tomorrow. He slid in beside her on top of the covers, laying his head on her chest and placing a hand on her swollen belly. Michelle instantly wrapped him up in her arms, one hand running through his short hair. 

“Rough night?” she asked quietly, giving the top of his head a quick kiss. 

“Yeah,” he sighed. 

“Wanna talk about it?” 

“Not yet.” He pulled her a little closer. “Just talk to me for a little while? At least until the baby cries.” 

Michelle chuckled. “She’s not a baby anymore, Frankie.” 

“She’ll always be my baby girl.” He moved down and pressed a kiss to her stomach. “At least until this one gets here.” 

They had never discussed having a second kid. Both of them were perfectly content with the one — especially for financial reasons. But then Michelle’s period never came, she took a test, and sure enough, she was pregnant again. About five months along now. They were happy, Claudia was ecstatic to be a big sister. But they also had to live with the reality that Frank was an underpaid detective, Michelle worked part-time as a florist, and they lived in only 700 square feet of house. Things were going to be tight until Michelle could go back to work full time and Frank finally got that raise he had been promised. They had made it through worse. They could make it through this. 

“I don’t know — I just have a feeling this one’s a boy.” 

Frank looked up at her with a smirk. “A feeling? A feeling where?” 

“In my…Motherly instinct.” She hit him gently when he laughed. “You cops follow your gut — we mom’s gotta follow our instinct. Millions of years of evolution was not for nothing.” 

“Okay, fine.” He chuckled a few more times before he moved so his head was back on her chest. “How was your day?” 

“It was good. Worked today. Donna says hi by the way. First arrangement of the day was an apology arrangement. The client specifically asked for Star of Bethlehem and Ivy. Donna and I are sure he cheated. Then I did an anniversary piece with Eucalyptus, Scabiosa — they’re a dark dark purple flower I think you’d like them — Sweet Peas, Spirea — “ 

“The guy picked up the car and  _ threw it _ at us,” Frank suddenly spoke, eyes lost somewhere between the present and the past. 

He was sure that Michelle heard him, but she still asked, “What?” 

“Suspect robbed a pawn shop — we had him cornered in an alley. Then he  _ picked up _ an abandoned car and  _ threw it _ at us.” 

“Was anyone hurt?” she asked. 

“No — well, just the suspect. Next minute he was rolling around on the ground screaming his head off. Medical said that nearly every muscle in his body had detached from the bone.” He felt her shudder beneath him. 

“That sounds awful,” she whispered, “Must be some kind of new drug or?” 

“Nobody knows,” he sighed, “Captain didn’t even wanna talk about it when we got back to the station. We’ve been getting…A lot of weird calls lately.” 

Michelle adjusted herself so that she and Frank were laying side by side. Curled on her side and nose to nose with the man she loved. “Just stay safe…That’s all I ask.” 

“You know I do, baby.” He reached out and cupped her cheek. “Anything to come back to you.” 

“You’ve got a power over me, Franklin Shaver.” She smiled, her light brown eyes crinkling at the edges, and he could feel his heart lift in his chest. A weight lifting off of him. “You gonna hold it over me?” 

This, right here, was warmth and light and  _ home _ . As long as she was there waiting for him, with open arms and a smile, nothing could get him down. No case could be too dark, too dangerous, too bleak. She was his source of power, his energy, his everything. What more could he possibly need than his family? 

“For the rest of our lives, baby.” 

The door creaked open. Frank instantly shot up in bed, that gut feeling taking over him as he shielded Michelle with one arm. But then he saw little Claudia standing in the doorway. Messy braids hanging limp on her shoulders, favorite blanket cradled in her arms, and chubby cheeks red with sleep. Her eyes were barely cracked open as she walked into her parent’s bedroom. 

“Cloudy, baby, what’s wrong?” Michelle asked as Frank visibly relaxed beside her. 

The toddler walked further into the room, to Frank’s side of the bed. She shook her head. “Daddy.” 

“You just want Daddy?” 

Claudia nodded her head and Frank scooped her into his arms. God, she was sweaty. “All right, let’s go back to bed, okay?” 

He moved to get up from the bed but Claudia began to fuss. Whining and kicking at him with her little feet. Frank held her legs down. “Nah-ah. Use your words.” 

“Stay ‘ere with…Daddy.” 

Frank looked over to Michelle. She had her head cocked to one side and a smile on her face. “I think someone missed you today.” 

“I missed you too, baby-girl.” Frank kissed the top of her head and tucked her into bed between him and Michelle. “Let’s go to bed and you can snuggle me all night long.” 

Frank got under the covers and Michelle turned off the light. Claudia burrowed herself into his chest, her favorite blanket tucked between them. Frank looked at Michelle one last time in the darkness. She had let her hair down for the night. Copper tresses hanging well past her shoulders and fanned out across her pillow. 

He had been so tired before. So drained of all energy. But now, lying there with his little girl against his chest and the love of his life beside him, he could feel all that energy coming back. The power he needed to get up in the morning and face another day of crime, cruelty, and corruption in New Orleans. 


	2. motivation

The weird calls never stopped coming in. For two weeks Frank was working later and later. Sometimes not coming home until the early hours of the morning, absolutely exhausted. Claudia cried for her dad the first few nights, going until she wore herself out and fell asleep with tears drying on her face. But after a while she finally understood. Her dad was out there catching bad guys — making New Orleans safer — just for her. 

It wasn’t until the last few nights that Michelle cried for her husband. Silently, into the darkness of their shared bedroom, as she tried to wait up for him to come home. She was sure it was the pregnancy hormones that were making this harder. This wouldn’t be the first or last time that Frank would have to work ridiculous hours in order to get to the bottom of something. Michelle prided herself on being the strong detective wife that she was. Never crying, always positive, always supportive. But some nights were harder than others. 

Some days too. 

And that morning was one of the harder ones. Frank left the day before around nine to start his shift and hadn’t been home since. He texted to let her know that he was okay — just following some leads on this new pill on the streets of New Orleans. Claudia didn’t have daycare that day. They could only afford for her to go about three times a week. 

Home alone, taking on the world, the Shaver women. 

Michelle had set up Claudia in the living room with a paper craft and her favorite tv show while she tried to throw together some lunch for the two of them. She really needed to go shopping. Hopefully Claudia wouldn’t be too put off by the idea of bologna and cheese sandwiches and cucumber. Again. For the third time that week. Eh, she was three. She would eat the same thing every day if she had the choice. Michelle just wasn’t giving her any. 

“Hey, baby,” Michelle called to her daughter from the kitchen, “You want juice or water with lunch?” 

“Hmmmm juice!” her tiny voice called back. 

“Juice what?” 

“Juice…pea!” 

“Please — all right.” 

Michelle gave a thumbs up as she grabbed a juice box from the fridge. It was the last one. She put the juicebox on the bright purple divided plate and brought it out to the living room. Claudia had already set aside her craft and sat patiently at the coffee table, little princess chair pulled up to the side as she watched her show. Michelle set down the plate in front of her and stabbed the straw into the juice box. 

“Remember, don’t squeeze.” Michelle handed the box back to Claudia then brushed her fingers over her dark hair. She hoped the next one got her bright copper locks.

“Tank you, Mommy,” Claudia said as she set the juice box by her plate. “I love you.” 

Michelle smiled down at her. She really was a great kid. She threw her fits and was struggling with her speech — but every kid was different. She would admit, being a mother was hard. Having a little person who didn’t ask to be born be fully dependent on her was scary at times. Some days Michelle felt like she was failing Claudia in some way. Other days she felt more like a caregiver than a mother, being drained and worndown by the end of a day spent with her daughter. But Claudia would never know that. Never. 

“I love you too, baby.” 

There was a noise coming from outside. Like someone was hitting something with a hammer repeatedly. Under that was a squeaky car engine and shouting. With a furrowed brow, Michelle moved to the window to see what was going on. They lived on a pretty quiet street. She parted the curtain in time to see a blue van with the side door slid open barreling down the street. Two men were hanging out of the door — each of them with a gun pointed at what looked like a person  _ running faster than the van _ . 

The men in the van were firing right at the houses as they drove past, trying to hit the one running outside. 

“Claudia!” Michelle yelled as she quickly turned from the window. 

In a moment, she scooped Claudia up into her arms, just before the first bullet broke through the front of the house. 

Glass breaking. Wood splintering. Bullets whizzing through the air. Claudia screaming into her shoulder. White hot, burning pain in her upper thigh as she ducked behind the kitchen counter for safety. Just in time for all of it to stop. 

Michelle lowered herself down onto the floor. Claudia was still screeching and crying as she clung tightly to her mother’s shirt. Michelle adjusted Claudia in her arms and could already see the red pooling onto the floor beneath her left leg. The pain was gone — but it was getting hard to breathe. Had that really just happened? Her entire leg now felt numb. Her fingers shook violently as she pulled her phone from her pocket. It was a struggle to dial the correct number. 

“911, what is your emergency?” 

“Gun — there was a driveby — I’ve been shot.” Michelle looked down at her leg again. Her jeans were soaked in red, it was getting on Claudia’s bare feet. 

“What is your address?” 

“1492 Clermont Dr, New Orleans.” 

“Okay, paramedics are on their way. Is there anyone else with you?” 

“Yes — my — my daughter, Claudia. She’s okay — I think.” 

There was a pause from the dispatcher. Then she asked tentatively, “Michelle?” 

“Yeah.” She leaned her head back on the lower cabinets as she tried to gain control of her breathing. “Frank’s wife.” 

“Oh, God.” There was a clammer, the dispatcher speaking to someone else in the room. “We’re trying to get a hold of Frank now. Where have you been shot? I can give you some instructions on how to slow the bleeding.” 

Michelle looked down at her leg again. Claudia had quieted down but refused to let go of her. There was a sizable amount of blood pooled beneath her. A water glass lay broken on the floor beside her. A bologna sandwich was spread all over the ground at her feet. Her head felt lighter than it should. 

“In — Upper thigh.” 

“Okay. I need you to get a towel or a t-shirt and wrap it tight around your leg. Can you do that?” 

“I — I don’t think I can get up.” Michelle set the phone down on the ground and switched it to speaker-phone. Then she pulled Claudia’s head up to look at her. “Hey, Cloudy, I need you to do something for Mommy, okay?” 

“No!” she cried, clinging to Michelle’s shirt tighter. 

“Hey, hey.” Michelle forced her to look at her again. “I know you’re scared, baby. I’m — I’m scared too. Do you think you can be brave for both of us, though? Just for a few seconds?” 

It took her a moment, but Claudia finally sniffed back the snot in her nose and nodded. 

“That’s my girl.” Michelle smiled. “I need you to go to Mommy and Daddy’s room and grab one of the t-shirts off the floor, okay? Can you do that for me?” 

Claudia nodded again and let go of her mother’s shirt. She put her feet down in the small pool of blood that had formed. Then she ran off down the hallway. 

“Is your daughter getting the towel or shirt?” the dispatcher asked. 

“Yeah. What should I — ?” 

“You’re gonna take the shirt and wrap it around your leg where you think your wound is. Make sure to tie it tight to the point that it hurts. That should slow the bleeding down enough until the paramedics get there.” There was a pause. “Michelle, how far along are you?” 

“Almost twenty-one weeks.” She could feel the sweat that had gathered on her brow, the way her eyes couldn’t seem to focus on anything. “We find out if it’s a boy or a girl soon.” 

“Which are you hoping for?” 

Michelle swallowed thickly. “Frank wants another girl — but I think it’s a boy.” 

Claudia came running back into the kitchen with one of her dad’s t-shirts in her little hands. It was one of his old band t-shirts from the 90s that he loved. Michelle quickly took it from her and stretched it into a thin strip. 

“Do you have something?” the dispatcher asked. 

“Yeah. T-shirt.” 

Michelle lifted her leg to get the t-shirt under it and felt a stabbing pain go down her leg and up her spine. She cried out at the feeling but quickly slung the t-shirt under her thigh before lowering it back down to the floor. 

“Michelle? Can you hear me Michelle?” 

“Yeah — I’m here. Hurts to — Hurts to move.” 

She knotted the t-shirt at the top of her leg and pulled as tight as she could. The blood that had soaked into her pants squelched out as she pulled. She groaned, squeezing her eyes shut tight as she let go of the t-shirt. Her breaths came out in ragged pants as her entire leg was consumed in burning pain. When she opened her eyes, the world was rimmed with black spots that she knew weren’t a good sign. Her insides heaved. Her head swam. 

“I think I’m gonna…” Michelle trailed off as she reached for Claudia. 

“Hey, stay with me Michelle. Keep talking. Michelle, the paramedics are almost there. Stay with me…”

The dispatcher kept talking, but the longer Michelle listened, the further the sound of her voice got. The kitchen titled, blurred. The last thing she saw before a blackness overtook her was Claudia crying. 

  
  


Frank pulled up to the house with a screeching of tires. He killed the engine as fast as he could. Crime scene tape had already been put up across his front yard. Neighbors were gathered to see what was going on. He practically jumped out of the car and slammed the door shut behind him. 

_ He should have been there. He should have been there. He should have been there.  _

“Out of the way! Out of the way!” Frank called ahead as he ran through the small crowd of people towards the house. 

Michelle. There she was. Being wheeled out of the house on a stretcher. Oh, God, she looked so pale. She wasn’t awake. Frank’s heart stopped inside his chest. Came to a screeching halt as he ducked under the police tape and jogged over to his wife. This couldn’t have been happening. They lived in an okay neighborhood. Their neighbors were kind and weren’t involved in anything. He had checked and double checked before they even thought about moving into that house. That house that was now littered with bullet holes, the two windows in the front broken and the large potted plant Michelle had on the porch shattered. 

Frank had seen some disgusting things during his time in the police force. Gunshot wounds, severed limbs, OD victims, grossly decomposed bodies. But nothing compared to seeing Michelle lying on that stretcher. Her jeans were soaked red. She had a t-shirt tied tightly around her left thigh. Her hands, limp at her sides, were coated in blood. Her skin was ghostly white. Frank felt like he was on his first case again. Sick to his stomach, far away yet right there at the same time. There was a ringing in his ears. 

Claudia crying for him broke through all that though. 

Frank watched Michelle get wheeled by and looked up to see his little girl in the arms of one of the paramedics. Squirming and reaching for him. 

“Daddy! Daddy!” 

“Claudia!” He sprinted across the sidewalk and pulled her from the paramedic’s arms. She immediately buried her head into his shoulder and squeezed him tight. He looked to the paramedic. “Is she hurt?” 

“No, your daughter is fine.” The paramedic gestured for them to go over to the ambulance. “Your wife has a gunshot wound to the thigh — we think the bullet hit her femoral artery. She’s lost a lot of blood.” 

“She gonna be okay?” Frank asked. 

The paramedic looked back at him when they reached the ambulance. He was used to seeing that kind of face at a crime scene. That look that spelled bad news but a hopefulness if only for the family’s benefit. 

“We just need to get to the hospital as fast as possible.” 

Frank nodded before climbing into the back of the ambulance, Claudia still cradled in his arms. He kept his eyes trained on Michelle as he sat down. Her hair was down and brighter than usual in comparison to the dullness of her skin. She was wearing one of those headbands she had made herself out of one of Claudia’s old, ruined onesies. He should have been home. This never would have happened if he had just let the wild goose chase go. If he had just listened to his partner Landry. But there was something about this pill…It had to be connected to all the strange calls they were getting. The people who could do ubelievable things. It all had to be connected somehow. Somehow. 

“Alright, let’s check on baby, shall we?” The paramedic sitting across from Frank grabbed a portable fetal doppler from one of the compartments. 

Without even thinking, he reached out and took hold of Michelle’s hand. They were always so warm — motherly in the heat they produced. But now they were cold and slightly clammy. The dried blood on her fingers was coming off at his touch but he wouldn’t let go. Couldn’t let go. 

He tried to ignore the thought as it invaded his mind. But he couldn’t help it. Fear, like a hand of ice, gripped his heart. Black tendrels of some frozen deep sea monster curled around his spine, his neck, cutting off the air in his lungs. 

_ What if I lose her?  _

“Okay, heartbeat is a little slow. You’ve gotta real fighter coming, Frank.” He smiled at Claudia. “Just like big sister, I bet.” 

That’s right — he knew this paramedic. He always seemed to be the one to show up to his crime scenes. They exchanged witty banter and discussed the Saints. His name was Brandon. Frank looked up at him now, unsure what expression was on his face. Did he look as scared as he felt? As lost? As pleading for them to do something to make his wife not look like that? Brandon smiled reassuringly. 

“She’s gonna be okay, Frank.” 

  
  


_ He only asked her to senior prom after his best friend, Clayton, practically begged him to do it. She was friends with his date and girlfriend Melissa, so it made perfect sense for them to go together. Frank, who went solely by Frankie back then, had begrudgingly gone along with it. He didn’t even know her. Sure he had seen her around, they went to a small school, it was hard  _ not _ to recognize someone in the hallways.  _

_ She was cute, he supposed. Bright red hair with a yellow tinge. Catcher for the softball team. Pretty quiet in the few classes they had together over the years. He’d never talked to her before. Then again, that didn’t mean she was anything special. He didn’t talk to any girls that weren’t dating his friends. Frankie was terribly awkward and shy around girls. Constantly fumbling over his words and running his fingers through his hair he would never admit he showed a picture of Leo Dicaprio in Titanic to get.  _

_ Frankie was shocked by the smile that overcame her face when he asked her. Stuttering and trying to sound as disinterested as possible cause he thought it was cool. She only nodded in agreement then ran off down the hall with Melissa. He stared after them with furrowed brows. Girls were so weird.  _

_ Then the night of prom finally came. Frankie and Clayton came to pick up the girls at Melissa’s house in Clayton’s dad’s brand new Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG. That was such a cool car and Clayton was terrified to get even a single scratch on it. Frankie rented a tuxedo for the evening, with a bowtie that he hated and his mom tried but failed to sit straight. He held the corsage he had picked up in the plastic box at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for the girls to come down from getting ready.  _

_ Melissa came down first. Frankie could hear Clayton sigh dreamily at the sight of her. Which made his face bunch up in disgust. She was wearing a green and yellow floral print dress with a matching shawl. Her hair was up with little wispy pieces framing her face. Frankie watched as the longtime couple met with anxious smiles and mumbled  _ you look great _ s.  _

_ Michelle came down the stairs next. And Frankie had never seen someone so beautiful in all his life. She had left her hair down, seemingly untouched by any pins or curling irons. He liked it that way. Her dress was pink, floor length, with spagetti straps holding it on her shoulders. When she got closer, he could see the little beads on the bodice of the dress and the way she had simply done in her makeup. In comparison, it made Melissa look like she was wearing a lot. It unnerved and awed him at the same time, her natural beauty and shy smile.  _

_ “Hi Frankie,” she said when she got to the bottom of the stairs.  _

_ “Hi — Hi Michelle.” He nearly dropped the box with her corsage in it. “You look — You look perfect.”  _

_ That wasn’t really the word he meant to say. But he stuck with it anyway. She did look perfect. Why hadn’t he talked to her before again?  _

_ She seemed to glance at Melissa and Clayton, too preoccupied with each other to notice anything else that was going on. Then she looked down at the plastic container in Frankie’s hands. “Is that for me?”  _

_ “Yeah. Yeah.” He popped open the container and pulled out the corsage. “Melissa said you like flowers a lot — so I uh — got something different.”  _

_ Was her face always that red?  _

_ The band of the corsage was made from a couple of those stretchy bead bracelets all stuck together and the flowers were fresh. He wasn’t sure what he was doing when he stepped into Donna’s Flower Shop that afternoon. The kind woman behind the counter had smiled at his discomfort and asked him about the girl he was taking to prom. Donna knew Michelle. She apparently came in all the time and took a few of Donna’s bouquet creating classes. Donna whipped something together in a matter of minutes.  _

_ White and pink magnolia blooms, these blue thistle looking things, and little pink flower buds. Frankie had never cared about flowers much, but he thought it looked pretty enough. He was already wearing his boutonniere, his mom having asked to pin it on his lapel herself.  _

_ “Do you like it?” he asked as he handed the corsage to her.  _

_ She smiled up at him and he could have sworn his heart beat faster in his chest. “I love it. Magnolias are my favorite, you know.”  _

_ The four of them took the customary pictures on the stairs and outside in front of Melissa’s house. Frankie made sure to give Melissa’s mom his own mother’s phone number so pictures could be shared once they were printed. Then they were off to the dance in the Mercedes-Benz.  _

_ Melissa and Clayton sat in the front while Michelle and Frankie sat in the back. It was about a twenty minute drive to the hotel the prom was being held at. The theme was enchanted forest.  _

_ “So, you’re on the wrestling team, right?” Michelle asked after a few minutes of sitting in silence.  _

_ Frankie cleared his throat awkwardly. “Uh, yeah.”  _

_ “Is — Is it fun?” she asked with a skeptical face.  _

_ “No.” He laughed. “I’m glad the season is finally over.”  _

_ “Not gonna do it in college?”  _

_ He shook his head. “Nah. No.”  _

_ “Can’t blame you.” She shrugged. “The weigh-ins, the scrambling to gain or lose weight…Doesn’t sound very fun.”  _

_ “What about you — you gonna play softball in college?”  _

_ Michelle flushed and began to fidget with the band of her corsage. “Uh, no — I’m not going…I have an apprenticeship at Donna’s Flower Shop lined up.”  _

_ “Oh. That sounds cool.”  _

_ “Wish my parents thought so.” She turned her gaze towards the window almost in shame.  _

_ Frankie, on gut reaction, reached out and touched her leg reassuringly. But instantly retracted his hand once he felt the fabric of her satin dress. She didn’t seem to notice. “Hey, they’ll come around to the idea eventually.”  _

_ “Doesn’t seem like it,” she sighed, “They don’t think my life is gonna go anywhere — just because I don’t wanna go to college. That I’m  _ squandering my potential _.”  _

_ “Well, I don’t think that.”  _

_ She looked away from the window and smiled at him. A small, genuine smile that brought a grin to his face. Michelle seemed cool and easy to talk to. Why hadn’t he talked to her before?  _

_ When they got to the dance, half of the school was already out on the dance floor. The lights were dimmed, high heels and suit jackets abandoned at tables. The photo station was set up in the corner of the hotel ballroom. Sprinkled with fairy lights and fake foliage to make it look like the enchanted forest that the night was supposed to be themed around. Melissa gave out a squeal of delight at the photo station that made Frankie jump, then she dragged Clayton in that direction so they could go take their photo. Michelle and Frankie trailed behind them, unsure of where else to go.  _

_ Melissa and Clayton took at least ten pictures together. Each one of them posed together holding each other close and smiling at one another. Frankie could feel his face get hot as he watched them. He glanced over at Michelle then behind him to the people forming a line. Would he have to hold her waist like that? Part of him wanted to, the other part of him didn’t know if  _ she _ wanted him to and wasn’t willing to ask.  _

_ The photographer ushered them up to the station while Melissa and Clayton flipped through the automatic print outs.  _

_ “You guys want digital or polaroids?” he asked.  _

_ “Uh — “ Michelle looked at Frankie and he shrugged. “Polaroid is fine, I guess.”  _

_ “Hey, easier for me.” The photographer picked up the polaroid camera and pointed it at them. “Alright, sir, if I could have you stand behind your lovely date there — there you go and then put your hands on her waist. That’s it. And, ma’am, just put your hands on top of his. Great.”  _

_ Frankie felt hot everywhere. He was certain that the camera would be able to pick up how red his cheeks are. But Michelle, she felt relaxed in his hold. Leaning back into him with an air of casualness that made his breath hitch. Like she was meant to be there. He smiled, closed lipped, for the pictures. His hands strayed around her waist and hips as they walked off the enchanted forest set. Michelle smiled over her shoulder at him in a knowing way and he coughed as he fully let go of her.  _

_ The photographer handed them two polaroids that weren’t yet fully developed. Michelle shook her’s as they walked over to where Melissa and Clayton were waiting for them. In the photo, Michelle had her head tilted to one side, a smile crinkling the corners of her eyes. A piece of her fire-like hair was caught on his shoulder. He swallowed thickly as he stowed the polaroid in his suit jacket pocket.  _

_ For the majority of the night, they stood around and bobbed their heads to the music. A few other friends joined their circle, but it stayed relatively small in comparison to the pile of people closer to the DJ. A few slow songs came and went. Melissa and Clayton danced to every single one. Holding each other and pressing their foreheads together — kissing at the end of each song. Michelle and Frankie would give each other a knowing look, Michelle at one point wiggled her eyebrows which made Frankie burst out laughing. They talked and laughed throughout the night.  _

_ And Frankie had to ask himself, yet again: Why had he never talked to her before?  _

_ She was radiant, warm. Kind and humorous in a quiet way that often went unnoticed by people who weren’t looking for it. She was quiet in a way that complimented him well and she listened when he spoke. Something he couldn’t even find at home.  _

_ “Alright, this party is almost over,” the DJ announced which made the majority of the room break out into a chorus of boos, “So let’s play one last song for all those little lovebirds out there.”  _

_ The opening beats to “All My Life” by K-Ci & JoJo filled the ballroom. Frankie glanced over at Michelle. They had somehow split apart in their friend circle for the first time that night. He was on one side of the group with some of his friends from the wrestling team, while she seemed to be hovering on the outside of a group of girls he recognized from a few of his classes.  _

_ He took a deep breath. If he was going to be a police officer one day, he needed to have the courage to ask a girl to dance. She whipped her head around when he tapped her on her bare shoulder. Red hair smacked him in the face. He ignored it though.  _

_ “Do you, uh — You wanna dance with me?” Frankie jabbed his thumb over at the dance floor.  _

_ Michelle smiled and even in the dim light he could see her cheeks redden. “Sure, Frankie.”  _

_ “Cool.” He smiled and took her hand.  _

_ Their arms were stiff at first. Holding each other out at length and not daring to look one another in the eye. Okay, so maybe he didn’t have the courage to ask a girl to dance for a reason. But somehow, in a way that he couldn’t explain, it felt right. It felt good to be awkwardly dancing to “All My Life” at the senior prom with Michelle Richards.  _

_ Frankie felt her take a deep breath and her hands soften on his shoulders.  _

_ “Can I admit something?” she asked, eyebrows pinched together in concern, “And — it’s okay if you feel uncomfortable and wanna…Like, never talk to me again or something.”  _

_ “Uh — Okay, I’m scared now,” he chuckled nervously.  _

_ “So, I’ve had a crush on you for like, a year.” She rolled her eyes and stared down at his crooked bowtie. “And I…May have convinced Melissa to convince Clayton to convince you to…Ask me to prom.”  _

_ Frankie didn’t know what to say for a second. He didn’t think anybody would ever have a crush on  _ him _. He was awkward, gangly, a bit of a hothead, his ears stuck out funny (though his mom told him it was an endearing feature). But Michelle Richards, softball catcher and future florist, liked him.  _

_ “I wish you would’ve told me sooner.” He smiled and pulled her closer. “I’m glad you did that.”  _

  
  


There was a beeping in her ears that annoyed her into being awake. Her face scrunched as she listened to it for a moment, her eyes still closed. God, that really was an aggravating sound. Did the fire alarm need it’s batteries changed or something? She could ask Frank to pick some up on the way home. Wait — was she just asleep? Was Claudia still sleeping from her nap? If she wasn’t, what kind of mess had she made? Michelle sighed as she opened her eyes just a crack, enough to see a blurred white tile ceiling. 

That wasn’t her ceiling. But she didn’t pay much attention to that. She needed to check on Claudia. She moved to sit up and a dizziness, but not just in her head, in her whole body, took over. It kind of reminded her of the first time she and Frank smoked weed. 

There were hands on her shoulders, easing her back down. 

“Hey, baby — lay back down, alright? Try not to move too much.” 

She pulled her eyes open more. Frank was standing over her. He had dark circles under red rimmed eyes. 

“Mm — Frankie?” Michelle complied with laying back down, if only to make that weird feeling go away. 

“I’m gonna go get the nurse, okay?” He let go of her shoulders and left the room. 

Michelle was left to stare up at the ceiling, pondering. She was definitely in a hospital. Had she had the baby? She didn’t even know what the gender was yet. That was unfair. She didn’t even remember the last, and arguably usually the longest, weeks of her pregnancy. 

Then it all hit her at once. The van. The running man. The shooting. Broken glass. Pain in her leg. Blood on the kitchen floor. Claudia crying. 

Michelle sat up, her head swimming, and looked around the room. She couldn’t see Claudia. Only an empty bag of McDonald’s and an NOPD duffle bag. She continued to look around the room lazily, brain only half processing what was going on, until Frank came back into the room. 

“Where’s Claudia?” she asked. 

“My mom came and picked her up a few hours ago,” he said, moving to stand by her side. 

She stared down at her lap for a moment. “I — I got shot.” 

Frank’s head dropped and he seemed to take in a deep, pained breath. When he looked back up at her, there were tears in his eyes. He reached down and took her hand. “Yeah, babe, you did.” 

“Is the — “ Michelle reached down and cradled her belly in one hand. “Is the baby okay?” 

“Yeah, yeah.” He sniffed. “Yeah — the baby’s fine.” 

“Alright, Mrs. Shaver.” A young blonde nurse came into the room with a clipboard. “I’m Haley, I’m your on-call nurse. Now that you’re awake I’m just gonna do a check that everything is okay.” 

She grabbed the clipboard from the end of Michelle’s bed and stacked it on top of the other one. Frank helped Michelle lay back down as he moved the bed to a sitting up position. 

“Do you feel any pain?” Haley asked. 

“No.” Michelle shook her head. “I feel weird…Like I’m a little high.” 

“That’s the painkillers. The feeling will wear off in a little while. We’ll make sure your next dose isn’t as strong.” Haley scribbled on the clipboard. “Do you need any water or food?” 

“Um, water would be nice.” 

“Okay. I think that’s all I need. Your surgery went well. We removed the bullet and repaired your femoral artery. If all looks good tomorrow you should be released the following day.” Haley replaced the clipboard at the end of her bed and smiled. “I’ll be right back with that water.” 

Michelle watched her leave with an absentminded stare. Two days in the hospital? What were they supposed to do with Claudia during that time? Who would take her to daycare? Would Frank have to take off work? She sighed heavily as she adjusted the blankets over her legs. 

“No, no — I know that face.” Frank pulled a chait up beside her bed and sat down. “The fidgeting. Don’t worry about all that, babe.” 

“But who’s gonna take care of Claudia?” 

He gripped her hand earnestly. “I will.” 

“But we can’t afford for you not to go work, babe.” Burning tears hit the backs of her eyes and in seconds they were dripping down her cheeks. “Especially with the new baby coming and now I’m  _ here _ and you were so close to finding the source of that pill — “ 

“I actually wasn’t,” Frank mumbled, head tilted down, “That lead I had was a dead end. Landry said it…But I wouldn’t listen. I should’ve been home.” 

“You being there wouldn’t have changed what happened.” 

He looked up into her face then. A kind of intensity in his eyes that she rarely got to see. “I could’ve protected you. Made sure you were safe.” 

“But I am safe.” She squeezed his hand and gave a soft smile of reassurance. “I’m safe now — with you.” 

Frank sighed and dropped his head again. Pressing the backs of her fingers into his forehead. “I was so scared, Meesh.” 

Michelle didn’t know what to say. She had been scared too. Was still scared even now. But Frank had never been one to get scared. Even during horror films he sat through them straight faced while she shoved her face into a pillow to hide from the monsters. When he came home from grewling shifts that she would hear about on the news he didn’t show an ounce of fear. Even though the reporters were talking about gunfire and chases, busts of massive drug rings where he could have easily been killed. Frank was a steady rock that reassured her that everything was always going to work out. That no matter what happened, they were going to be okay. 

But to see her steady rock shaken in this way made her realize that maybe it had always been the other way around instead. That  _ she _ was the thing that kept  _ him _ standing in spite of his fear. 

  
  


Michelle fell back asleep after a while. Frank sighed long and hard as he watched her, listened to the heartbeat monitor reassure him that she was alright. He rubbed his hands over his face. God, he was so tired. He hadn’t slept in over twenty-four hours. His entire body felt heavy and worn down to the bone. 

Just as his eyes began to slip shut of their own accord, his phone began to vibrate in his pocket. With a soft groan he pulled it out and saw that it was Landry calling. He took the call out in the hallway so as not to disturb Michelle. 

“Hey, Landry, what’s up?” he asked as he slipped out of the room and moved down the hall to the vending machine. 

Might as well get a snack while he was up. 

“Hey, man, how’s Michelle doin?” 

“She’s alright. Surgery went well. Resting now.” He surveyed the snacks available and decided he didn’t really want anything. 

“Alright, cool, cool. Just let us know if you guys need anything.” There was a brief pause on the other end. “We found the van — crashed into an abandoned warehouse.” 

Frank took a deep breath. “Any survivors?” 

“Not that we can tell. Driver of the van died on impact and there was one other guy inside. Then — man, this is the crazy part — there’s one guy  _ outside _ the van. Coroner says he died from severe blunt force trauma. Based on evidence collected at the scene this dude — this dude he ran through three  _ walls _ , man. Brick walls.” 

“He ran  _ through _ them?” 

“Yeah. Coroner also found some crazy shit in the guy’s system he’s never seen before.” 

“Were there any of those pills on sight?” He leaned against the wall with a furrowed brow. 

“Yeah — yeah. A few in the van. They don’t look like anything we’ve ever seen before, Frank. Something crazy’s going on. Want me to put this on hold till you get back?” 

Frank could feel his jaw set. His fist clench at his side. If his years as a detective taught him anything, it was that these pills were the reason his house got shot up. The reason his wife was laying in the hospital with a bullet wound. He needed to get to the bottom of this to keep his family and New Orleans safe. 

“Yeah. I’ll be back in a few days,” Frank said, “Let me know if you find anything else.” 

And with that, he hung up. 


End file.
